Water-Soluble Vitamins: B1, B2, B3

• Vitamins are essential nutrients required for various bodily functions, categorized as either water-soluble or fat-soluble.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

• These dissolve in water, and are easily absorbed into the body.
• Excess amounts are excreted through urine, reducing the risk of toxicity, except in high doses.
• They need to be replenished more often than fat-soluble vitamins.

Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

• Aids in energy production.
• Maintains healthy nerves.
• Food sources include enriched and whole-grain breads and cereals, lean pork, dry beans and peas.
• Easily destroyed by heat when cooking.
• Easily dissolves in water.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

• Aids in energy production.
• Helps the body resist infections.
• Food sources include enriched and whole-grain breads and cereals, milk products, dry beans and peas, meat, poultry, and fish.
• Damaged by exposure to sunlight.

Niacin (Vitamin B3)

• Aids in energy production.
• Needed for a healthy nervous system.
• Food sources include meat, poultry, fish, liver, enriched and whole-grain breads and cereals, dry beans and peas, and peanuts.

Vitamin B6

• Aids in energy production.
• Needed for a healthy nervous system.
• Helps protect against infection.
• Food sources include poultry, fish, meat, dry beans and peas, whole-wheat products, some fruits, and vegetables, and liver.

Vitamin B12

• Aids in building red blood cells.
• Needed for a healthy nervous system.
• Aids in energy production.
• Food sources include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and fortified breakfast cereals.

Folate (Folic Acid) (Vitamin B9)

• Aids in building red blood cells.
• May help protect against heart disease.
• Helps prevent birth defects in pregnant women.
• Food sources include bread, cereal, rice, pasta, flour, and other grain products fortified with folic acid, dark green leafy vegetables, dry beans and peas, and fruits.
• Folate is less sensitive to heat than other B vitamins, but can be destroyed if food is reheated or kept hot for extended periods.
• Folic acid is more stable during cooking and digestion, thus more likely to be absorbed.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

• Increases resistance to infection.
• Maintains healthy teeth and gums.
• Helps heal wounds.
• Helps keep blood vessels healthy.
• Food sources include citrus fruits, other fruits like cantaloupe, berries, mango, and kiwifruit, and vegetables like tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes, broccoli, and cabbage.
• Destroyed by heat and exposure to oxygen, and dissolves easily in water.
• To preserve Vitamin C, buy fresh produce, prepare it just before use, cook in minimal water, avoid prolonged heating, and use cooking water in gravies or soups.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

• Absorbed with fats in the diet and stored in the body.
• Excess intake can lead to toxicity due to accumulation.

Vitamin A

• Helps the body grow and develop.
• Keeps the lining of the throat, digestive system, and lungs moist and free from infection.
• Helps bones, teeth, skin, and hair stay healthy.
• Helps eyes adjust to darkness.
• Food sources include dairy products, egg yolk, liver, dark green vegetables like spinach, and deep yellow-orange fruits and vegetables like carrots and pumpkins.

Vitamin D

• Aids in building strong bones and teeth.
• Helps the body absorb and use calcium.
• Food sources include liver, oily fish, butter, cheese, fortified milk, and eggs.
• The body can also produce Vitamin D through sunlight exposure.

Vitamin E

• Aids in forming red blood cells and muscles.
• Helps protect cells from damage by oxygen.
• Food sources include vegetable oils, dark green leafy vegetables like lettuce, peanuts and seeds, whole-grain breads and cereals, and dry beans and peas.

Vitamin K

• Needed for normal blood clotting.
• Found in plant and animal foods, leafy vegetables, cheese, liver, asparagus, coffee, bacon and green tea.
• Produced by bacteria in our intestines.

Minerals

• Inorganic substances needed for various biochemical processes.

Calcium

• Helps build and renew bones and teeth.
• Helps your heart, muscles, and nerves work properly.
• Food sources include milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green leafy vegetables, canned fish with edible bones, dry beans, calcium-fortified juices, soy foods, and cereals.

Iron

• Helps red blood cells carry oxygen.
• Food sources include meat, poultry, fish, egg yolk, dark-green leafy vegetables, dry beans and peas, enriched grain products, and dried fruits.

Sodium

• Needed to control the amount of water in the body.
• Needed to help the body use energy and to control the nerves and muscles.
• Food sources include table salt, soy sauce, large amounts in processed foods, and small amounts in milk, breads, vegetables, and unprocessed meats.

Potassium

• Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction.
• Food sources include meats, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Trace Elements

Fluoride

• Helps prevent tooth decay by strengthening teeth.
• Helps strengthen the bones.
• Small amounts are added to the water supply in many communities.

Iodine

• Needed to make thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland in the neck.
• Thyroid hormone helps regulate growth, development, and metabolism.
• Food sources: seafood, iodized salt, bread, and dairy products.